“Many emergency teams come under fire either on the way to a call or at their bases. four of our employees have already been killed and 12 people were injured and hospitalised,” said Halyna Saldan, Head of the Centre for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine of Kherson Regional State Administration.
Out of the 68 attacks verified by WHO during the first quarter of 2024, 12 of them targeted emergency medical services, including nine attacks targeting emergency medical aid base stations, seven attacks resulting in damage to ambulances, and six attacks affecting assets and emergency medical aid equipment.
“Emergency healthcare workers and services are dedicated to helping people in critical situations and must be protected in all circumstances. These attacks threaten their safety and further devastate communities that have been living under constant shelling for more than two years,” noted Dr Emanuele Bruni, WHO Incident Manager in Ukraine.
“This grim number underscores the pressure on the Ukrainian healthcare system,” stated Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. “WHO urgently reiterates its calls for the protection of health-care workers and patients, as well as the uninterrupted delivery of essential health services.”
Since the invasion by the Russian Federation in February 2022, WHO has verified 1,682 attacks on the healthcare sector in Ukraine, resulting in 128 deaths and 288 injuries of medical personnel and patients.
WHO defines an attack on healthcare as any act of verbal or physical violence, obstruction or threat of violence that interferes with the availability, access and delivery of curative and/or preventive health services during emergencies. This can range from harm caused by heavy weapons to psychosocial threats and intimidation that affect access to healthcare for those in need.
